Carry Me
by Blue Rogue Linds
Summary: A child's horrific ordeal reminds a young knight of the impact a little love can have on another. All it took was a simple confession to soften his heart.


"She entered that old house." The floor was cold and damp. Footsteps echoed around the base of the abandoned building. Fear had strangled the oxygen out of the air. It was difficult to breathe or cry out. Shadows on the walls played tricks on the mind and even the slightest sound brought the child to tears. She had stuffed her fingers into her mouth to keep herself from sobbing out loud. Olgan had picked a fine time to drop the girl into Nashira. The village reeked of dead fish and stale beer. Light invaded the dark room as the front doors crashed to the ground. She huddled closer to the corner of the closet. They would find her for sure.

"Be as gentle as you can with the girl. Those were the King's orders, and besides," A tanned knight glanced over at his men. "We must respect her father's memory." He knelt down and examined the floor. The other knights were busy turning the old house upside-down looking for the girl. It had been discovered that Olgan did some type of bizarre experiments on a series of people. This girl, Celsica, had been one of the successful test subjects. Her father had been one of the higher ranking knights. Olgan made sure to silence him.

"Master Rambari," A younger knight held a strip of cloth out to him. "I found it near the stairs, sir." Rambari studied the tracks and then the cloth.

"Monster…" That is what they had called her at the orphanage. She wasn't going back, either. She nervously chewed on her fingers, tears rolling down her pallid cheeks, as she rocked herself to and fro in the corner.

"You killed your dad, didn't you?!" Her body became rigid at the memories. Sorrow had overwhelmed her and she beat the other boy in the orphanage within an inch of his life. She had been running from the knights for three days now. Her belly was empty and her heart was heavier than before. Dried blood was caked onto her hands and face. She only defended herself. That was it. It wasn't her fault. They were the ones who cornered her.

She could still feel that boy's neck between her palms.

"Stay beside the door and wait for my signal." Rambari stood from the floor and carefully approached the closet. Celsica was no murderer. He had known the girl since her birth. He quietly opened the door to the closet and studied the space carefully.

"N-no!" Celsica scrambled out of hiding and made a desperate run for the door. The younger knight made a motion to deter her progress by standing in front of the door. She quickly dove under his legs and scuttled out into the streets. Villagers had been instructed to stay indoors until the child was caught but there were knights everywhere. Celsica stopped at the edge of a dock, looking for a boat to steal a ride on. Before she could turn around, Rambari and several others had gathered near the docks.

"Stay here, I don't want her to be nervous and try anything rash." Celsica had always been a sensitive and shy child. She also had respect and admiration for Rambari. He had a way with the girl, to put it lightly.

"Don't come any closer, please…" Celsica murmured through her fingers. She was chewing on her hand again.

"It is time to go home, Celsica." He said in a firm voice.

"I-I'll jump if you come any closer! I'm not going back there! They hate me!" She wailed and backed up to the edge of the dock.

"I'm not here to take you back to the orphanage." Her eyes lit up. Rambari cracked a smile in her direction. Hopefully, it would soothe her nerves. He extended his hand to the girl. "I'm here to take you home." Celsica's hand flew out of her mouth as she took a flying leap into Rambari's arms. She rubbed her cheek up against his and mewed like a wayward bunny kitten. "Take it easy, will you?" He couldn't pull her away from his face. The other knights started nudging Rambari in the side and joking about their relationship.

"Th-they said I killed…" Rambari put a finger to her lips.

"Whatever they told you, it wasn't true. I saw Olgan's men kill your father." He set her up on his shoulder.

"Where is home?" She rested her head on his. Rambari pointed towards the castle.

"Elnath will be your new home. The King has requested that you take your father's place in the Order of Knights. I will see to your training and other needs." He had always been so professional. Celsica was to become a knight. It had always been her forbidden dream, to succeed her father.

"Rammy…" Rambari answered with a hum. She had been through a lot up until now. His paternal instincts must have kicked in. Normally, he forbade such behavior. However, it would be all right to let it slide this once for the girl's sake. He stroked the side of her face and smiled a little. Celsica pulled his head closer to her body. "I-I'm sorry for running…" Rambari nodded.

"What is past is past. It's bad luck to dwell on the past." He knew his old superstitions made her laugh. The ensuing giggle widened his grin. Celsica suddenly kicked about and shook Rambari by the head.

"Look, Rammy, look!!" She pointed up at a pole with a lantern hung from it. Rambari glanced over and spotted a blue bird. "What is it?" Blue birds were excessively rare in Diadem. They sometimes stopped for a rest during their migration to Sadal Suud.

"That's a blue bird. It looks like Nashira will have a good catch this year." A second bird shyly pattered out from behind its mate and preened its feathers. It was a tender moment, to say in the least. Celsica tilted Rambari's head toward the sky and smiled.

"I love you, Rammy…" She pecked his forehead. Rambari almost choked.

"Don't go saying foolish things like that. You can do better than me, Celsica. You deserve better, anyways." He tousled her hair. In all honesty, he would never forget her innocent confession…


End file.
